Originally Posted by
Jozanny
BFrank: I am not sure how multi-cultural you wish to make your lesson plan, but there is a poignant short story entitled "Drought", by Jan Rabie, in The Penguin Book of Southern African Stories, edited by Stephen Gray, 1985 edition ISBN 0-14-007239-X, which may fit your theme.
It is a very short piece, under 2500 words most likely, about a white Afrikaan *Baas* who walls himself off from the black man who partners with him to build a house. It is highly metaphorical, and written before the end of state sanctioned aparteid, of course. No foul language, and may or may not work for 7th grade.
I hope it might prove useful.